Harding University vs Olivet Nazarene University

Harding University and Olivet Nazarene University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Harding, a private Christian university in Searcy, Arkansas, boasts a lower acceptance rate (48%) compared to Olivet's 67% in Bourbonnais, Illinois. While Harding's student body is predominantly White (84%), Olivet's is more diverse, with a significant Hispanic population (27%). Both universities excel in certain academic areas; Harding is known for its strong programs in Bible and Ministry, while Olivet shines in Nursing and Education. With comparable graduation rates, both institutions ensure their students are well-prepared for their chosen careers. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique offerings and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Harding University	Olivet Nazarene University
Overview
Location	Searcy, Arkansas	Bourbonnais, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	78.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	54.1%	60.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $45	$25
SAT range	1050 - 1300	970 - 1200
ACT range	20 - 28	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	23.0%	39.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	26.0%
Total number of applicants	2,200	5,881
Total number of admissions given out	1,191	3,561
Admitted students who chose to enroll	748	661
Yield rate	62.8%	18.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$34,538	$51,840
Average net price	$20,533	$20,431
Tuition	$21,690	$36,450
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,068 Meal plan: $4,658	$9,490
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $12,769	100.0% Average amount $28,396
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,607	78.0% Average amount $5,436
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $12,585	11.0% Average amount $12,187

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,684 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%	2,643 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
Graduate students	1,289 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	819 Men 23.0% Women 77.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	6.2%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,867	2,479
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Communication and Journalism Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Education Health Professions Business Theology Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.2%	63.8%
Dropout rate	31.7%	35.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $117,748 Year 2: $124,539 Year 3: $127,639 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,011 Year 2: $106,978 Year 3: $105,028 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,933 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $88,179 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $69,415 Year 2: $68,618 Year 3: $71,365 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,335 Year 2: $66,104 Year 3: $69,942 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,533 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $67,054 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,156 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $65,082 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,219 Year 2: $57,047 Year 3: $64,125 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,088 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $62,592 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,124 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $60,778	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $88,786 Year 3: $102,622 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,037 Year 2: $91,004 Year 3: $102,214 Education, Other (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,457 Year 2: $78,971 Year 3: $85,075 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,282 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $73,820 Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $62,031 Year 2: $67,899 Year 3: $71,991 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,658 Year 2: $65,855 Year 3: $67,524 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,203 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $61,457 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,994 Year 2: $55,286 Year 3: $58,413 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,504 Year 2: $52,316 Year 3: $54,224 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,595 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $49,738

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